Organogenesis is an essential process in embryonic development. Additionally, plants can generate new organs, such as roots, from postembryonic tissues utilizing postembryonic pathways. Bustillo-Avendaño and colleagues investigated de novo root formation from Arabidopsis thaliana leaf tissue. They used microscopy, hormone treatments and mutant analysis to identify four main developmental stages and important regulatory factors. Initial cytokinin and auxin biosynthesis in the leaf is followed by long-distance auxin transport which leads to proliferation of xylem-associated tissues. Thus, cytokinin and auxin signaling appears to be critical for initial callus formation while stem cell regulators control organ initiation. This study provides a plant organ regeneration model through the identification of key stages and important regulators of de novo organogenesis from Arabidopsis tissue. (Summary by Julia Miller) Plant Physiol. 10.1104/pp.17.00980